Hainan Airlines axes limo service for business-class passengers

Hainan Airlines shared on its website that it has discontinued its chauffeur service for business-class passengers, effective September 25, 2019. If you've already made a reservation for the service, it will still be honored, but no future reservations can be made.

The carrier says that it will "provide more diversified services to meet the needs of passengers," but shared no additional details as to what that could mean. Hainan only offered its limo service on a handful of routes and only for revenue tickets, but often the carrier's phenomenal business-class fares qualified.

While this development is disappointing, it's certainly not out of the norm for the industry. Recently, Etihad cut its chauffeur service for business- and first-class passengers traveling on award tickets, and Emirates has also restricted its offering to those who have purchased revenue tickets in business or first class.

Hainan is generally regarded as one of the top Mainland Chinese carriers, and it currently offers nonstop service from seven U.S. cities to multiple destinations in China. However, the parent company of the airline, HNA Group, has been struggling financially amid an economic slowdown in China as well as the ongoing trade war with the United States. As a result, the airline will be dropping its twice-weekly nonstop flight between Las Vegas (LAS) and Beijing (PEK).